In general, a can includes a cylindrical can body, and an end hermetically coupled to an upper end portion of the can body. The end is a term used to designate an entire portion forming an upper end of the can.
The end is manufactured of aluminum or aluminum alloy and coupled to the upper end of a can body formed of a metal material. The upper end portion of the can body and the edge portion of the end are seamed by a seaming chuck and a seaming roll in a beverage bottling plant to hermetically seal a beverage therein.
A tab having an opening, in which a score S having a broken line shape is formed, is installed at one side of a surface of the panel forming the end, and the score is pressed and broken using leverage to open the opening. The tab is fixed to the panel by a rivet.
Accordingly, when a user pulls up an end of the tab, the other end of the tab disposed on the score is leveraged and presses the score to break the score along the broken line, opening the opening.
However, the conventional can has no structure capable of re-closing the opening of the can, which is opened by breaking the score. Accordingly, there is inconvenience in carrying and transporting the can in which contents remain to be drunk at a later time, or in storing the contents after the can is opened.
In order to solve these problems, a technique of providing a plastic cover on the end has been proposed. However, as the beverage moves over the end panel, foreign substances on the panel may mix with the beverage.
In addition, while various ideas about the structure of re-closing the opening have been proposed, these ideas require new can manufacturing processes, and due to problems of changing equipment, can manufacturing companies and beverage companies cannot employ the various ideas. That is, the can manufacturing companies and the beverage companies require a resealable can end structure that can be implemented using the conventional beverage plant filling equipment and process, and while maintaining a conventional production speed.
Meanwhile, in recent times, various events, promotions, advertisements, and so on, are being distributed through beverage cans. For example, a promotion method is used in which a serial number is printed on a rear surface, which is pulled up when the score is broken, with the tab structure with no hole, and a consumer inputs the serial number on a computer web to confirm whether the consumer wins a giveaway. It has been confirmed that the method of printing the serial number on the rear surface of the tab raises customer interest and attention.
However, in order to print the serial number on the rear surface of the tab, since the serial number must be previously printed on the panel and the tab should be machined to correspond to the printed portion, manufacture of the tab is difficult. In addition, the rear surface of the tab has a small printing area. Consequently, even when the company wants to write various advertisement phrases, and so on, to improve advertisement effects, it is unable to.
Meanwhile, due to disadvantages such as an increase in manufacturing cost and limitation of advertisement effects, some beverage companies use a method in which the serial number and the advertisement phrase are written together on a side surface or a bottom surface of the can body of the can, not the tab. However, this method is not as effective at attracting the attention of users. That is, in order to maximize the to effects of events, promotions, and so on, a process that arouses a consumer's interest and attention by exposure of the advertisement phrase and serial number through a series of operations related to the opening of the can is needed, because the method of complete exposure before opening reduces consumer interest.
Accordingly, in the beverage industry, there is increasing demand for a can having a hidden printing space for events, promotions, and so on, that is sufficient for advertisement phrases, etc., and arouses the interest and attention of consumers.